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West Ham have had a lot of injury problems this season, especially in the run up to the new year.

Things, however, are looking a bit better with Manuel Lanzini returning to training ahead of the Hammers’ London derby versus Fulham at the London Stadium tomorrow.

“For this game, we have the squad which was playing most of the games and for this week I think we will have the squad list [on Thursday] and maybe Lanzini and Nasri can be included on the squad list,” Manuel Pellegrini told reporters in his pre-match press conference (via West Ham’s official club website).

Lanzini has yet to play a game for the Hammers this season following the knee injury he picked up last summer while on international duty with Argentina meaning some rustiness can be expected.

But the 26-year-old remains a player with a lot of technical ability and the type Pellegrini loves to build his team around.

Lanzini is a small, agile No.10 with great dribbling skill and movement in between the lines.

Under Pellegrini, he could develop into something special as he approaches the peak years of his career.

For now, though, the Argentina international will be focusing on returning to full fitness before trying to play a big role in a season where West Ham could end up finishing as high as seventh place.

Wolves fans could be in for a nerve-racking summer, with a number of their key players being targeted by some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

The likes of Ruben Neves, Max Kilman and Morgan Gibbs-White have all been linked with permanent moves away from Molineux, while Romain Saiss, Joao Moutinho, John Ruddy and Fernando Marcal all have their contracts expiring at the end of the season.

They may also be without loan forward Francisco Trincao – who is being targeted by clubs in Portugal who hope to land him before Wolves can sign him permanently – and to make matters worse, their other left-footed right winger Pedro Neto is now also wanted.

What’s the news?

According to The Daily Mail, French giants PSG are “keeping tabs” on the Portuguese forward, as well as Leeds’ star Raphinha and Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele – who reportedly could be the key as to whether or not the Spanish giants permanently sign Adama Traore.

Despite having signed a new contract until 2027 earlier this month, Neto could be prized away by one of the richest clubs in the world, who are looking to re-shape their team ahead of next season, with star duo Neymar and Kylian Mbappe both being linked with moves away.

Potential calamity for Wolves

Should the £31.5m-rated 22-year-old leave Molineux this summer, the already underwhelming Wolves attack will be significantly weakened, as the winger made the most goal contributions last season by four (11), and after suffering a significant fractured kneecap injury, the club scored just 21 Premier League goals before his return last month.

Claimed to have the potential to become “absolutely unreal” by Wolves journalist Nathan Judah, Neto will most likely be a key part of manager Bruno Lage’s plans next season, with fans hoping that they can return to European football.

Last season before his injury, the former Braga and Lazio prospect ranked in the top 5% among wingers and attacking midfielders in the Premier League for progressive carries per 90 (9.64), top 2% for crosses per 90 (4.48) and top 10% for dribbles completed per 90 (2.61).

Still young, he has plenty of time to return to that kind of form and continue his encouraging development – and Wolves fans will be praying that he will be doing that in the West Midlands with them.

In other news: Lage could unearth Wolves’ next Moutinho in ”brilliant” 20 y/o, he’s a “young Paul Gascoigne”

Newcastle United transfer target Niklas Sule has decided to leave Bayern Munich, according to Bild (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

26-year-old centre-back Sule is out of contract at the end of the 2021/22 season.

Bayern president Herbert Hainer said over the weekend that the player’s camp were considering an improved offer from the club.

Sule has been with Bayern for four and a half years, having joined from TSG Hoffenheim for £18million back in 2017.

In that time, he’s made 158 appearances, including 25 so far this term.

The latest

The report from Germany (via SW) states ‘decision made’, with Sule opting to leave Munich as a free agent in the summer.

Sule ‘has long since rejected’ the offer of a €10million-per-year (£160,000-per-week) salary.

Newcastle are named among the clubs ‘interested’ in snapping up the German for next season.

The verdict

You’d imagine the move would depend upon Newcastle staying up, but what a signing this would be.

Sule is a 37-cap Germany international who’s played at the last two major tournaments for his country.

He also boasts a huge trophy haul, including the 2019/20 UEFA Champions League and a remarkable four Bundesliga titles.

Sule is a strong tackler, but he’s also more than comfortable in possession, excelling at passing and dribbling (via WhoScored).

One surprising asset, given that he looks ‘like the Incredible Hulk’ is his speed. Sule has been clocked at 21.6 miles per hour, which at one point made him the second quickest player in the Bayern ranks (via Bundesliga.com).

He has so many qualities that there’s bound to be a long queue of suitors – Jupp Heynckes called him ‘superb’ and ‘world class’ – so this would be quite a coup if the Magpies can snap him up on pre-contract terms for the summer.

In other news, Newcastle are reportedly moving in for this signing.

A number of West Ham fans have taken to Twitter to slam comments made by David Moyes regarding transfers.

Club insider ExWHUemployee took to social media to share a screenshot of a football.london article, which transcribes comments made by David Moyes.

These comments provide insight into the club’s transfer philosophy, which has been a major talking point throughout the January window. Moyes was quoted saying: “Extra bodies don’t count for anything, it is like a sugar rush but eventually, it wears off. You are better off trying to get the right players and if not, sticking with what you have got.”

These West Hams slam Moyes’ comments

Lots of Hammers fans flocked to ExWHUemployee’s post on Twitter, taking to the comments to express their frustration with the club’s lack of activity during the January transfer window.

Many fans were in disbelief, unable to believe that the club are not chasing numerous additions, despite the squad’s lack of depth with multiple competitions still up for grabs.

The biggest priorities lay in the heart of defence, where Angelo Ogbonna is out for the season, and up front, where there has still been no replacement for Sebastien Haller one year on from his departure.

Here’s what some Hammers had to say:

“Lack of vision to progress to the next level is criminal from this man”

Credit: @whumaan

“Moyes basically said we done a brilliant job losing to Leeds”

Credit: @NathWHU_

“This hasn’t become a problem just in January, we started the season short of a striker, that was in Aug, nearly 6 months ago. We’ve had 6 months to sort this and are down to 2 weeks now, ridiculous! Plus spending 30€m on Vlasic, who we didn’t really need”

Credit: @GILLER07

“It seems strange a year on from Haller the club have no solution. We did well on Lingard loan and those goals and assists helped us close the Euro spot but a 3rd window without perm in flow is poor management. Yes the right character only.”

Credit: @frostefroste

“This is a flat out bad opinion. It assumes that everyone in the world is either brilliant or rubbish, real world has shades of grey. Can we not just get a few ‘pretty good’ people for the squad please – just upgrades on Masuaku Yarmolenko & Diop, they DONT have to be A1 starters.”

Credit: @johnnyhammer5

“We are so frustrating sometimes”

Credit: @Luke96475753

Craig Hope has revealed some fresh Newcastle United transfer news involving Dean Henderson.

The Lowdown: Burn on his way?

As per Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie, the St. James’ Park faithful have now agreed a £13m fee with Brighton and Hove Albion to sign Dan Burn, adding that he is travelling up to the North East in order to undergo a medical.

He looks set to join Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood and the imminent Bruno Guimaraes on Tyneside, meaning that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium can now focus on other targets before the deadline hits.

It seems as though the priority is still on improving the defensive record even after the move for Burn, judging by the latest news from Hope.

The Latest: Attention on Henderson

According to The Daily Mail journalist, talks have begun this weekend to bring Manchester United’s Henderson to Tyneside on loan:

“Talks have taken place in past 24 hours.”

However, after previously reporting that there was a ‘strong chance’ of a deal, Hope is no longer so positive.

“Never say never, but I’m told Henderson/NUFC now looks unlikely.”

The Verdict: Not a priority

Henderson is undeniably talented – during his incredible spell on loan with Sheffield United, when he kept 35 clean sheets in 86 appearances, his Blades teammate, Sander Berge, hailed him as ‘insane’ and ‘exceptional’.

However, the Toon are already stacked in the goalkeeping department with Martin Dubravka, Karl Darlow and Freddie Woodman, and so they should not be prioritising bringing in a new one – even if Woodman leaves, Eddie Howe will still have two senior shot-stoppers at his disposal.

Furthermore, Henderson currently earns a whopping £120,000-per-week at Old Trafford, and while money is not an object to the new owners, they would probably be expected to pay a large chunk of that on top of a potential loan fee.

Nonetheless, they should focus on other positions, with another striker mooted with Callum Wilson’s injury, and the likes of Alvaro Morata and Dominic Calvert-Lewin still reportedly seen as options.

In other news, find out who NUFC have made enquiries over here!

Reliable Leeds United reporter Phil Hay has answered a question regarding the possible return of midfielder Ronaldo Vieira.

The Lowdown: Leeds links

The Whites are thought to be keen on making two midfield additions in the New Year after being hit by multiple injury problems in recent months.

Director of football Victor Orta is after a number six and a number eight, with Sampdoria midfielder Vieira linked with a move.

Reports in Italy have recently suggested that Vieira is ‘ready to return home’, with a move back to Leeds ‘approaching’.

The 23-year-old has had his own injury issues over the past 18 months which has limited his Serie A appearances to just four in 2020/21 and 2021/22. And now Hay has given his thoughts on Vieira re-signing under Marcelo Bielsa.

The Latest: Hay’s four-word claim

Hay shared a transfer mailbag on The Athletic, answering comments from a number of supporters.

One of those was on Vieira, with a fan wanting to see the midfielder back at the club. This is what Hay had to say in reply, ending with an interesting four-word claim – ‘I can’t see it’.

“Vieira has been totally inactive at first-team level since that loan to Sheffield United fell through. I can’t see it.”

The Verdict: Avoid

Bielsa needs winter window reinforcements in the middle of the pitch who can come straight into the side and help Leeds in their fight for survival.

He has just Adam Forshaw and Mateusz Klich available at this moment in time, with Kalvin Phillips and Jamie Shackleton injured and Stuart Dallas needed at full-back for large parts of the season.

Unfortunately, due to his lengthy absence with hamstring and thigh problems, you’d expect Vieira may struggle to hit the ground running back in Yorkshire.

On that basis, the Whites could be better off looking elsewhere for January signings, and you’d like to think Orta has a number of defensive and central midfield targets.

In other news: ‘Unbelievable’ Leeds man may now need an operation after injury and could miss 12 games – expert. 

After saying goodbye to Georginio Wijnaldum at the end of last season, Liverpool didn’t sign a replacement for the Dutchman who joined French club Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer after making a total of 237 appearances across all competitions.

One midfield player, however, that has been linked with a move to the Merseyside club that could be a potential heir for Wijnaldum is LOSC Lille star Renato Sanches.

Recently, the Portuguese international has made a claim that could excite a lot of Liverpool fans that may be hoping to see him in a Reds shirt in the near future.

What’s the latest?

In a recent interview with French media outlet L’Equipe (via Liverpool Echo), Sanches revealed that he feels ready to join a big club again after admitting that he was too young to join Bayern Munich when he did back in 2016.

During his time in Germany, Sanches made 53 appearances for Bayern across all competitions in which he also had a loan spell at Swansea City where he made just 15 appearances before eventually arriving at Lille in 2019.

Since joining the French club, the 24-year-old, who is currently valued at £27m according to Transfermarkt, has managed to score five goal and provide six assists in 67 appearances in all competitions.

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In the recent Euro 2020 tournament over the summer, Sanches’ performance in Portugal’s 2-2 draw against France earned him a lot of praise from pundit Jermaine Jenas who said that the midfielder has got “a lot of character.”

That performance, in particular, highlighted just how impressive Sanches can be on the big stage as an all-round midfielder, a role Wijnladum thrived in at Anfield.

In the 88 minutes he was on the pitch for, Sanches managed to complete 69 of the 74 passes he attempted, had one shot on target, made one key pass, won nine ground duels, made three tackles and completed all of the three dribbles he attempted, ultimately earning himself a solid overall match rating of 7.1/10 according to SofaScore.

Consequently, this would be an excellent piece of business from the Merseyside club if they can sign him for a relatively low fee considering how his current contract at Lille is set to expire in the summer of 2023. Certainly, it would give them a potential long-term replacement for Wijnaldum given his age and ability in the middle of the pitch.

In other news: FSG may be heading for a big Liverpool disaster in January on “outstanding” 26 y/o ace – opinion

According to a report by Record, via Sport Witness, Tottenham manager Antonio Conte may have been handed a boost as the club pursue Benfica star Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: Tottenham make contact over Nunez…

The Lilywhites are allegedly in contention to sign the Uruguay marksman this summer alongside a plethora of other Premier League clubs.

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Sharing news last week, 90min claimed Tottenham have already made contact with the striker’s entourage alongside the likes of Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Arsenal and Manchester United.

It is also believed that West Ham are showing an interest, backing Fabrizio Romano’s previous point that Nunez could be one of the ‘big name’ transfers of the summer window.

However, according to a fresh update, it appears that Conte may now have an ‘advantage’ over Spurs’ competitors.

The Latest: Record share Spurs update…

According to Portuguese news oulet Record, via Sport Witness, Tottenham do indeed have a ‘small advantage’ in the race for Nunez, with teams who are closer to Champions League qualification apparently having a better chance of signing him.

This propels Spurs above the likes of West Ham and Newcastle in the pecking order, but it is claimed that Manchester United are currently head of the queue as it stands.

The Verdict: Boost for Conte?

In a potential boost for Conte, Record’s update also exemplifies the sheer importance of European qualification for Spurs as the 52-year-old looks toward a vital run of fixtures leading to the end of 2021/22.

Tottenham’s finish could gift them either a stronger or weaker footing in the summer transfer market as Fabio Paratici aims to attract the cream of the crop.

Nunez, who has scored an incredible 28 goals in all competitions this season, would certainly boost Conte’s sparse centre-forward options at N17, with Breaking The Lines scout writer Maxi Angelo raving over the ‘incredible talent’.

Valued at around €80m (£67m), Benfica are willing to sell for much less than his €150m (£125.2m) release clause, but a move would still require significant investment on Tottenham’s part.

In other news: Tottenham eye agreement ‘in the coming weeks’ as they make offer for exciting midfielder! Find out more here.

Everton have had a nightmare season so far, with the side just six points off the relegation zone and Rafa Benitez on the brink of being sacked.

As a result, the club could really do without anymore bad news, but it has now been revealed an important player may be snapped up by another club.

What’s the word?

According to Spanish news outlet Fichajes, Real Madrid are interested in signing Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure in a possible move with Carlo Ancelotti reportedly wanting to reunite with his former player in Spain this summer.

The 29-year-old was signed by Ancelotti at Goodison Park back in September 2020, and the player has gone on to become an important player at Everton, with his contract set to end with his current club in June 2023.

One final disaster

The French midfielder has given Everton some fantastic moments in his time at the club, and with the Toffees in the situation they are currently in after a terrible season so far, fans will be fuming to see one of their players leave.

Doucoure has made 51 appearances, netting five goals and offering seven assists during his time at the club so far, with the midfielder making his biggest impact during the first seven games, scoring twice.

Despite Everton’s struggle this season, he is in the top three Premier League players for assists outside of the box this season according to One Versus One.

Real Madrid are currently in a much stronger position than Everton right now, sitting at the top of La Liga, playing Champions League football whilst being a club with huge pulling power due to their success and glittering trophy cabinet, so it will be hard for Everton to keep hold of the £22.5m-rated star who was hailed a “revelation” by journalist, David Prentice.

Everton are on the brink of sacking Benitez, and if they could bring in a manager that could turn around their season and get the best out of the players, it could be an opportunity to keep Doucoure at the club, even if Ancelotti did come knocking for him in the summer.

However, if the Spaniard stays and ends up sanctioning the Frenchman’s sale, it would undoubtedly be his final disaster.

Moshiri will need to make big changes and make important decisions that can put the club in a better position as soon as possible to make sure their most influential players aren’t picked off by other clubs in the summer.

In other news: Rafael Benitez wants to bring in a centre-back

Manchester United are stuck in limbo right now when it comes to their managerial saga.

It’s quite apparent that interim head coach Ralf Rangnick will be leaving his post in the summer and moving upstairs, but who will replace him at Old Trafford is anyone’s guess.

What’s the word?

Mauricio Pochettino is still believed to be among the favourites for the job but the man everyone appears to be talking about right now is Erik ten Hag.

The current Ajax boss has reportedly been interviewed by the club but now their pursuit of the Dutchman seems to be going up a notch.

That’s according to Sky Sports who claim that groundwork is being done in order to smooth over an announcement should everything be negotiated sufficiently.

A report on Wednesday reads: “Sources close to Ten Hag and the Dutch club have suggested that dialogue has taken place over the financial element as well as how to handle a possible announcement – should the process progress that way – in terms of timing and presentation, given Ajax are in a tight title race.”

Great news for Man UnitedAlthough this doesn’t officially confirm whether ten Hag is on his way to the Theatre of Dreams, it does hint that the Ajax manager is considerably high up on their list of managerial targets.If they are already discussing the intricate details as listed above then it can only bode well for their pursuit of the 52-year-old.But why is it good news that they’re targeting him? Well, he’s one of the brightest coaches in the game right now, completing some quite wonderful achievements over the last few years.Possessing a clear winning mentality, ten Hag knows what it takes to win a major trophy, securing the Eredivisie title twice and taking home the nation’s domestic cup competition on two occasions too.Furthermore, he ranked fourth in a list of the best managers in world football for 2019, further demonstrating his enormous potential at the elite level.However, it is in the Champions League where he has arguably caught the eye the most, steering Ajax to the semi-finals in 2018/19 as serious underdogs.They almost made it to the final as well, but for Lucas Moura’s goal in the dying embers of the second leg.Also capable of taking talent to the next level, namely the likes of Hakim Ziyech, Dusan Tadic, Donny van de Beek and Matthijs de Ligt, everything would appear to bode well for a potential move to Man United.AND in other news, “Man Utd will sign..” – Romano drops huge transfer update, supporters surely buzzing…